The neurons in our gut help the immune system keep inflammation in check | Newswire which neurons work with immune cells to help intestinal tissue respond to perturbations without going too far Opposites react Different populations of macrophages are among the many types of immune cells present in intestinal tissue Lamina propria macrophages are found very close to the lining of the intestinal tube while muscularis macrophages are in a deeper tissue layer more distant from what passes through the intestine Using an imaging technique developed by Marc Tessier Lavigne s Laboratory of Brain Development and Repair that allows scientists to view cellular structures three dimensionally the researchers looked in depth at the differences between the two populations In addition to variations in how the cells look and move they noticed that intestinal neurons are surrounded by macrophages When Mucida and colleagues analyzed the genes that are expressed in the two macrophage populations they found that lamina propria macrophages preferentially express pro inflammatory genes In contrast the muscularis macrophages preferentially express anti inflammatory genes and these are boosted when intestinal infections occur We wanted to know where this signal was coming from that induced this different response to infection says Mucida We came to the conclusion that one of the main signals seems to come from neurons which appear in our imaging to almost be hugged by the muscularis macrophages How the gut brain axis halts inflammation In other experiments the scientists found that muscularis macrophages carry receptors on their surface that allow them to respond to norepinephrine a signaling substance produced by neurons The presence of the receptor might indicate a mechanism by which neurons signal to the immune cells to put a stop to inflammation The researchers also observed that the muscularis macrophages are activated within one to two hours following an infection significantly faster than a response would take if it were

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Daniel Mucida | Newswire of immune cell inhabits the thin layer of tissue that lines the intestine New experiments reveal how these cells arise sometimes from other mature immune cells More Tags Bernardo Reis Daniel Mucida immunity inflammation intraepithelial lymphocytes t cells May 19 2010 Campus News New faculty member seeks secrets of intestinal immunity Newly named assistant professor Daniel Mucida studies the balance between tolerance and immunity by observing what happens in the

macrophages | Newswire in the intestine send signals to immune cells to curb inflammation More Tags Daniel Mucida gut brain axis intestine Laboratory of Mucosal Immunology macrophages May 13 2015 Science News Research shows how antibodies produce vaccine like effect against tumors Antibody therapy not only kills cancerous cells it can confer lasting protection by priming the immune system to remember a tumor Scientists have found this process centers on antibody binding receptors found on two types of immune cells Their results suggest ways to improve anti cancer treatments More Tags antibodies antigen cancer immunotherapy David DiLillo dendritic cells Fc receptors Jeffrey Ravetch Laboratory of Molecular Genetics and Immunology macrophages memory T cells January 4 2007 Science News Viral detectives Researchers track down the location of HIV 1 assembly in human cells New research by Rockefeller University and ADARC scientists pinpoints the location of HIV 1 assembly in human immune cells Although the assembly site had long been a topic of dispute the researchers show conclusively that the virus is being built in the cells plasma membranes and not as many had supposed in internal cellular compartments called endosomes More Tags Gag protein HIV macrophages Paul Bieniasz Search for Categories Science News Awards

New findings challenge popular explanation for why a social insect becomes a worker or queen | Newswire no evidence to support methylation as a reason why two ants can behave so differently was on the one hand a little sobering says senior author Daniel Kronauer assistant professor and head of Rockefeller s Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior On the other hand this finding could be really important for those who want to understand the evolution of social behavior and the function of DNA methylation in insects The case for methylation Previous research had found methylation differences in the brains of insect queens and workers making many scientists believe these differences cause the animals to take on different social roles It was a great story and everyone ran with it says Peter Oxley a co first author and postdoc in the lab But these previous studies looked at average levels of methylation within a sample of each insect type taking for instance a group of worker ants mixing their DNA together and measuring the average amount of methylation among all their brains These experiments consistently found differences between worker and queen insects but that test alone won t tell you if the difference is significant explains Kronauer The average amount of methylation present in one group will most likely differ from the average amount present in another group To be meaningful those differences must be consistent across multiple groups of workers and queens A lack of evidence To take that extra step members of Kronauer s team including co first author Romain Libbrecht who at the time was a postdoc in Kronauer s lab and presently works at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland measured methylation levels from multiple samples of ants performing brood care or laying eggs In these experiments the distinctions found in previous research didn t hold up The team did see differences in

Original URL path: http://newswire.rockefeller.edu/2016/01/21/new-findings-challenge-popular-explanation-for-why-a-social-insect-becomes-a-worker-or-queen/ (2016-02-13)Open archived version from archive

clonal raider ants | Newswire Social Evolution and Behavior January 21 2016 Science News New findings challenge popular explanation for why a social insect becomes a worker or queen Many scientists have come to believe that DNA methylation a mode of genetic regulation in which chemical tags turn genes on or off is involved in determining an insect s caste However a new study of ants finds no evidence to support this role for methylation